Candis Cayne Doesn't Mince Words About Why She Dropped Caitlyn Jenner
When they said not to mix politics with friendship, Candis Cayne took it quite literally. The actor and trans activist has very publicly distanced herself from her once-close friendship with "I Am Cait" co-star Caitlyn Jenner. In an exclusive interview with The Messenger, Cayne revealed that she no longer considers Jenner a friend because of her controversial political stances, and clearly, she means business.
"We just don't really talk anymore because I can't separate my friendship with her and her belief system anymore," Cayne shared with the outlet. She added, "[I] really tried to show her the light and how important our cause was, and the only way you can get that is if you lean left." Cayne didn't mince her words about why she dropped Jenner from her friend circle, but she went a step further, calling the Olympic gold medalist "a Fox News cult member."
Jenner has openly identified as a Republican for several years, but the story behind the reality star's transition raised questions about the authenticity of her political views as a trans woman. Understanding Jenner's alignment with the GOP, a party traditionally associated with conservative values such as a traditional approach to marriage, emphasis on faith-based beliefs, and reservations about transgender visibility, clearly posed a challenge for Cayne, and unsurprisingly she's not the only one.
Jenner's GOP balancing act is as confusing as it sounds
Caitlyn Jenner has been attempting a delicate balancing act for a while now, expressing a desire to align herself with both transgender rights and the Republican Party. However, this has proved challenging, given the GOP's well-established stance against a number of pressing LGBTQ+ issues. As she continues to attempt to sit on both chairs at once, Jenner has been toying around with various titles when it comes to her political stance. During a 2015 interview with Diane Sawyer, while discussing her transition, Jenner identified herself as a Republican without missing a beat.
At the time, according to a Gallup poll, only 21% of LGBTQ+ Americans leaned right. In 2020, Jenner penned an article for USA Today, highlighting the difficulties of being a trans Republican and expressing her wish to reform the party to be more inclusive. However, when she announced her gubernatorial run for California a year later, the reality star avoided calling herself a Republican, telling Politico, "I don't like labels."
Later that same year, Jenner described herself as "economically conservative [and] socially progressive" in an interview with People. She also publicly distanced herself from GOP presidential candidate and Former President Donald Trump. Interestingly, despite all of this, Jenner took on a role as a contributor for the notably right-wing Fox News in 2022, garnering criticism from both conservative and liberal circles alike.
Jenner's Fox News affiliation likely pushed Cayne away for good
While Candis Cayne might have attempted to dissuade Caitlyn Jenner from her conservative stance, she likely gave up after Jenner secured a contributor position with Fox News. Following her loss in the gubernatorial race, the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" alum made her debut on the right-leaning channel, immediately distancing herself from her previous statements about transgender rights. As she introduced herself on "Hannity," Jenner notably clarified, "I am trans, but I'm not a trans activist."
Despite Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott hailing Jenner's story as inspirational, questions arose about who truly finds inspiration in her association with Fox News. Ironically, she's not inspiring Republicans either. Openly right-wing TV host Elijah Schaffer shared his opinion on Jenner's new role on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "I'm embarrassed for my friends at Fox News." Naturally, Jenner also faced condemnation from the transgender community for her Fox allegiance, earning herself the title of a traitor.
"[Jenner] does not reflect our views, and she is incredibly harmful to our wellbeing," LGBTQ+ activist Charlotte Clymer told Newsweek. Additionally, in 2022, Fox Corporation's LGBTQ+ employee resource group internally criticized Fox Media's biased coverage of the "Don't Say Gay" bill, proving the network has little interest in sincerely promoting LGBTQI+ rights. As Jenner continues to juggle her conflicting political beliefs, it's no surprise that Cayne dropped her like a hot potato amid the ever-unfolding controversy.